Education Commons^™

The Assessment Of The Program Theory And Processes Of Books For Keeps’ Literacy Mentoring Program, Allison Shaw

Graduate Research Showcase

The significance of reading proficiency is frequently emphasized by the time a student reaches the third grade. Third-grade reading proficiency serves as a crucial indicator of a student's potential success in high school and beyond, including college. Research indicates that a failure to attain grade-level reading proficiency by the third grade correlates with increased challenges in comprehending educational requirements and meeting the demands necessary for graduation.

This study focuses on the Books for Keeps Literacy Mentoring Program in Athens, Georgia, which is designed to cultivate supportive relationships between mentors and students, fostering enthusiasm for reading. The examination of the program …

Navigating Online Information Spaces With Lateral Reading: Lessons Learned From Two Librarians Working With Students And Educators, Andrea Baer, Daniel G. Kipnis

Libraries Scholarship

As online content’s credibility has gotten harder and harder to evaluate, librarians and other educators have been growing their strategies for teaching online source evaluation. One of those strategies is “lateral reading,” the practice of quickly evaluating a web source by seeing what others on the web say about that source. On the surface, lateral reading is quite simple. However, effective lateral reading often requires complex thinking. How will you search for information about a source? Which search results will you click on and how will you evaluate those sources? How will you decide what you trust and to what …

Caregivers' Perceptions Of Covid-19 Educational Disruptions On Children With Developmental Language Disorder And Typically Developing Peers, Katherine Radville, Danika Pfeiffer, Karynn Sheranian, Julie Wolter, Jessie Ricketts, Tiffany L. Hogan

Communication Disorders & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose: Understanding the experiences of families of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) during COVID-19 educational disruptions is essential for designing responsive supports during pandemic recovery efforts and beyond. This qualitative study describes the experiences of families of first-and second-grade children with DLD during the pandemic as compared to the experiences of families of typically developing (TD) peers.

Method: A conventional content analysis approach was used to analyze caregivers’ written responses to open-ended questions regarding their perceptions of COVID-19 educational disruptions. Responses were analyzed separately by group: caregivers of children with DLD (n= 23) and caregivers of TD children (n= …

Arabic Reading Fluency Rates: An Exploratory Study, Hanada Taha Thomure, Gail Brown, Richard Speaker, Haitham Taha, Rana Tamim, Nerolie O'Neill

All Works

Reading fluency has been defined as the process of automatically associating graphemic and phonetic information in a text with minimal conscious attention if any at all. Research has found that the effect of fluency on reading proficiency is of importance to student learning and that increasing oral reading fluency (ORF) rates has been correlated in several studies to improved comprehension. However, no reading fluency rates (FR) or standards in Arabic have been established to date. This exploratory study begins to examine Arabic language ORF and proposes an initial Arabic reading fluency scale. Thirty-five teachers from six private bilingual schools across …

The Traveling Memories Project: A Digital Collection Of Lived Experiences Of Teachers Who Served In The 1961 Cuban Literacy Campaign, Kimberly Waller

Antioch University Full-Text Dissertations & Theses

The 1961 Campaña de la Alfabetización (CLC) [Cuban Literacy Campaign] looms large in the Cuban historical imagination as a moment of transformation, sacrifice, and triumph. Yet, until recently, the unique aspects of the CLC that made it a national success were in danger of being forgotten, thus losing its potential as a model for future ways to mobilize a nation toward an important social goal. The primary objectives of this project were to: (1) expand the scope of the discourse to include a much larger range of lived experiences; (2) collect and preserve lived experiences as shared by the teachers …

Linguistic Awareness And Dyslexia Beliefs Among Teachers Of Students Who Are Blind Or Visually Impaired., Nosheen Gul, Lindsay N. Harris, Alicia Larouech, Gracie Strohm

CISLL Publications

US students who are blind or have visual impairments do not read at the level of a third-grader with typical sight until, on average, halfway through the seventh grade. As a first step toward narrowing that gap, we investigated levels of linguistic awareness among teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired (TSBVIs) because research with general education teachers has demonstrated a link between teacher linguistic awareness and student literacy outcomes. We also examined the accuracy of dyslexia beliefs among TSBVIs and whether TSBVI linguistic aware- ness and dyslexia beliefs are associated with training and experience variables. A survey …

What Is The Literacy Supportive Role Of The School Librarian In The United Kingdom?, Margaret K. Merga

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© The Author(s) 2020. Building students’ literacy skills is a key educative purpose of contemporary schooling. While libraries can play a key role in fostering literacy and related reading engagement in schools, more needs to be known about school librarians’ role in promoting these goals. To this end, this article seeks to identify the nature and scope of the literacy supportive role required of the school librarian in the United Kingdom. It also investigates how this aspect is situated within the broader competing role requirements of the profession. Using a hybrid approach to content analysis including both qualitative and quantitative …

The Importance Of Parent's Literacy Understanding Towards Children Reading Habits, Naufal Ahmad Rijalul Alam

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study reveals the importance of parent’s literacy understanding towards children reading habits. By using a qualitative phenomenology approach and taking five Indonesian respondents who have children aged 6 to 12 years who are attending the Dutch basis school. this study concludes that the understanding of literacy which is owned by parents is very important as a mediator for the development and formation of children's reading habits. Indeed, parents able to choose good reading books, provide appropriate reading time, to use reading sources, whether printed books or using digital sources such as laptops or computers. In addition, by getting used …

Aspects Of Literacy In Vision And Mission Of University Libraries In Indonesia, Kundharu Saddhono, Puji Lestari, Yuliana Sari

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Literacy is closely related to libraries. Aspects of literacy existing in visions and missions become the main points and characteristics of a library. This study aimed to describe and explain aspects of literacy of libraries in top universities in Indonesia in terms of text and social context. It employed content analysis with descriptive qualitative approach. It also used critical discourse analysis model as proposed by van Dijk. It was textually related to micro analysis and socially connected to activities supporting the textual analysis. The result shows that aspects of literacy in top universities in Indonesia are textually and socially dominated …

Literacy Library And The Functional Literacy Skills Of The 21st Century Adult Learners, Sunday Olawale Olaniran

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Literacy and library are like Siamese twins that cannot be separated. Society draw literacy skills from the libraries the same way an individual draws from his memory to meet his immediate information needs. Examined in this paper is the relevance of literacy library to the functional literacy need of the 21^st Century adult learners. Literacy library is conceptualised as a special library provision targeted at adult members of the society who have enrolled or willing to enrol in a learning programme. Key features of Literacy library are outlined, followed by brief description of specific materials relevant to the 21 …

Viewpoints: Should Teaching Students Who Fail A Literacy And Numeracy Test Be Barred From Teaching?, Lynn D. Sheridan, Nan Bahr

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Starting this month, teaching students who fail or haven't yet taken the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) will not be able to teach in Victorian schools. Previously, around one in 20 teachers who had failed the test or hadn't taken it yet received provisional registration. Prospective students who took the test late in 2018 received their results on January 11.

How Do Librarians In Schools Support Struggling Readers?, Margaret Kristin Merga

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

While librarians in schools often face significant budgetary cuts, they can play an important role in supporting learning in literacy and literature. However, little is known about the practices that they may employ to this end. Of particular interest is the role of librarians in schools in supporting struggling readers, as these students may be increasingly disadvantaged as they move through the years of schooling. Semi-structured interview data were collected from teacher librarians at 30 schools and analysed to identify practices exercised by teacher librarians that aligned with extant research around supporting struggling readers. Teacher librarians provided support by identifying …

Health Literacy And Health-Promoting Behaviours Among Australian-Singaporean Communities Living In Sydney Metropolitan Area, Tze Gek Ho, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Rahman Rahman, Mohamud Sheikh

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Health literacy affects how individuals navigate and make decisions within the healthcare system and has been recognized to influence health behaviours. However, less is known about its associations with health-promoting behaviours amongst Australian migrant populations. This study is an attempt to fill this gap by investigating the level of health literacy and its associations with physical activity, healthy diet, smoking and health services utilization among Australian-Singaporean communities. Methods: A total of 157 participants were recruited from Singaporean communities living in Sydney metropolitan areas, New South Wales, Australia. Data was collected through a cross-sectional online survey from January 2016 to …

"What Color Are Our Hearts?" Challenging Social And Literacy Inequalities In An Elementary School Writing Club, Judith M. Dunkerly-Bean, Tom W. Bean, David Kidd, Elizabeth Johnson

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This longitudinal phenomenological study centers on an after-school writing club at an elementary school started by two high school English teachers and their students. Over the course of a school year, the writing club addressed local and systemic issues of inequality and facilitated the voice, agency and creative expression of the third to fifth grade students who chose to participate. Emerging trends and themes speak to the promise and possibilities of inter-age writing clubs that go far beyond traditional tutorial models. Rather than engaging in a banking method of tutoring, this project facilitates voice, agency and equality, as well as …

Qualitative Process Evaluation Of An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Study: Recommendations For Designing Culturally Responsive School-Based Programs, Chloe Gordon, Lisa K. Kervin, Sandra C. Jones, Steven J. Howard

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Alcohol media literacy programs seek to mitigate the potentially harmful effects of alcohol advertising on children's drinking intentions and behaviours through equipping them with skills to challenge media messages. In order for such programs to be effective, the teaching and learning experiences must be tailored to their specific cultural context. Media in the Spotlight is an alcohol media literacy program aimed at 9 to 12 year old Australian children. This study evaluates the process and implementation of the program, outlining the factors that facilitated and inhibited implementation. From this evaluation, a pedagogical framework has been developed for health professionals …

Principals As Literacy Leaders With Indigenous Communities (Pallic) Building Relationships: One School's Quest To Raise Indigenous Learners' Literacy, Tasha Riley, Amanda A. Webster

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In 2011 to 2012, 48 schools in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland participated in the Principals as Literacy Leaders with Indigenous Communities (PALLIC) project. Central to this project was the establishment of positive working relationships between school principals and Indigenous community leaders in order to improve Indigenous literacy rates. Professional development in leadership skills and effective literacy instruction was provided through five professional learning modules. Participants worked together to create an action plan to support the literacy achievement of Indigenous students in their schools and communities. This article presents a case study of one participating school in Northern …

Opinion: Phones Down, For Literacy's Sake, Lisa K. Kervin, Jessica Mantei, Julie Coiro

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

As adults, what do we expect from children when we talk with them? Should we expect their close attention and active engagement in return? Do we wish that they'd put down their electronic device so we could talk with them without distractions? And how often do we stop to consider what we are modelling for them ourselves?

Re-Examining "Redesign" In Critical Literacy Lessons With Grade 6 Students, Jessica Mantei, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In children's literary texts, ideologies aligning readers with discourses of certain communities often remain uncontested, potentially privileging those views and values over others. Critical literacy, therefore, is important so children can contest positions taken in literary texts and consider how their own texts in turn position others. This inquiry examined redesign as a pedagogical approach for developing critical literacy with 12 year old students as they deconstructed messages they identified in a short film and then reconstructed alternative viewpoints with new digital literary texts (redesigns). Findings revealed that the redesign cycle supported learners as they moved through a process of …

Incorporating Health Literacy In Education For Socially Disadvantaged Adults: An Australian Feasibility Study, Danielle M. Muscat, Sian Smith, Haryana M. Dhillon, Suzanne Morony, Esther Davis, Karen Luxford, Heather L. Shepherd, Andrew Hayen, John Comings, Don Nutbeam, Kirsten Mccaffery

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Adult education institutions have been identified as potential settings to improve health literacy and address the health inequalities that stem from limited health literacy. However, few health literacy interventions have been tested in this setting. Methods Feasibility study for an RCT of the UK Skilled for Health Program adapted for implementation in Australian adult education settings. Implementation at two sites with mixed methods evaluation to examine feasibility, test for change in participants' health literacy and pilot test health literacy measures. Results Twenty-two socially disadvantaged adults with low literacy participated in the program and received 80-90 hours of health literacy …

Evaluation Of An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Program, Chloe Gordon, Steven J. Howard, Sandra C. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: A 10-lesson alcohol media literacy program was developed, underpinned by the message interpretation processing model, inoculation theory, and constructivist learning theory, and was tailored to be culturally relevant to the Australian context. This program aimed to increase students' media deconstruction skills and reduce intent to drink alcohol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving these goals through a short-term quasi-experimental trial. Method: Elementary schools were assigned to either the intervention group (83 students) or a wait-list control group (82 students). Student questionnaires were administered at three time points (baseline, after the …

Powerful And Playful Literacy Learning With Digital Technologies, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The increased availability of tablet technologies in many homes and early childhood educational settings has transformed play-time and the subsequent opportunities that emerge for literacy learning. What children do with the digital applications (apps) on these technologies demands our attention, particularly as we consider the ever-increasing market of apps marketed to enhance the basic literacy skills. While there are varying degrees of quality amongst available apps, some apps have potential to foster children's play and language development in unexpected and interesting ways. As educators, we need to acknowledge the role 'digital play' can play in our pedagogical interactions and the …

Advances In Promoting Literacy And Human Rights For Women And Girls Through Mobile Learning, Helen Crompton, Judith Dunkerly-Bean

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This article is taken from a larger review of extant research from a chapter titled “The role of mobile learning in promoting global literacy and human rights for women and girls” from the Handbook of Research on the Societal Impact of Digital Media. In this article we review the fairly recent advances in combating illiteracy around the globe through the use of mobile phones and e-readers most recently in the Worldreader program and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) mobile phone and reading initiatives. Utilizing key human rights publications and the lens of transnational feminist discourse, which …

Geographical Literacy, Attitudes, And Experiences Of Freshman Students: A Qualitative Study At Florida International University, Daniela F. Ottati

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to explore the geography literacy, attitudes and experiences of Florida International University (FIU) freshman students scoring at the low and high ends of a geography literacy survey. The Geography Literacy and ABC Models formed the conceptual framework. Participants were freshman students enrolled in the Finite Math course at FIU. Since it is assumed that students who perform poorly on geography assessments do not have an interest in the subject, testing and interviewing students allowed the researcher to explore the assumption.

In Phase I, participants completed the Geography Literacy Survey (GLS) with items taken from …

Does Financial Literacy Contribute To Food Security?, Katherine Grace Carman, Gema Zamarro

Education Reform Faculty and Graduate Students Publications

Food insecurity, not having consistent access to adequate food for active, healthy lives for all household members is most common among low income households. However, income alone is not sufficient to explain who experiences food insecurity. This study investigates the relationship between financial literacy and food security. We find that low income households who exhibit financial literacy are less likely to experience food insecurity.

Effectiveness Of Alcohol Media Literacy Programmes: A Systematic Literature Review, Chloe Gordon, Sandra C. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Alcohol media literacy is an emerging field that aims to address the link between exposure to alcohol advertising and subsequent expectancies and behaviours for children and adolescents. The design, rigour and results of alcohol media literacy programmes vary considerably, resulting in a number of unanswered questions about effectiveness. To provide insight into some of these questions, a systematic literature review of alcohol media literacy studies was conducted. The review was guided by the following research question: What considerations are needed to develop an effective school-based alcohol media literacy programme? On the basis of a critical synthesis of 10 interventions (published …

'[I Learnt] How To Look At Ads Differently...': Lessons From An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Program, Chloe Gordon, Sandra C. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin, Jeong Kyu Lee

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at The Inaugural Early Start Conference, 28-30 September 2015, Wollongong, Australia

The Contribution Of Genre Theory To Literacy Education In Australia, Beverly M. Derewianka

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This chapter traces the history of genre theory and pedagogy in Australia, its current status and reflections on future prospects.

The Southern And Eastern Africa Consortium For Monitoring Educational Quality (Superseded Version), Australian Council For Educational Research

Assessment GEMS

The Southern and Eastern Africa Consortium for Monitoring Educational Quality (SACMEQ) carries out large-scale cross-national research studies in member countries in the Southern and Eastern Africa region. It aims to assess the conditions of schooling and performance levels of learners and teachers in the areas of literacy and numeracy. SACMEQ has completed three cross-national educational research projects so far at five- to six-year intervals (SACMEQ I, 1995-1999, SACMEQ II, 1998-2004 and SACMEQ III, 2005-2010). It is currently implementing the fourth project.

Uwezo: Monitoring Children’S Competencies In East Africa, Acer

Assessment GEMS

Uwezo, meaning ‘capability’ in Kiswahili, is an initiative in which the competencies of schoolaged children in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are measured to obtain information that encourages changes in educational policy and practice. Uwezo began as a four-year initiative (2009–2013) and it is envisaged that it will run for at least another five-year period (Uwezo, 2011). Uwezo’s goal is to contribute to the improvement of the quality of education. Annual household surveys are implemented to assess the basic literacy and numeracy competencies of school age children across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Uwezo believes that this information will raise public awareness …

A Preliminary Investigation Of The Effects Of A Professional Development Training On Secondary Students' Reading Scores, Shannon Follett

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Much of the emphasis on interventions to improve literacy skills has been focused on the primary grade levels. Over the last decade, an increasing amount of research has stressed the need for effective reading interventions for adolescents. However, little research has evaluated effective professional development of secondary teachers in the area of literacy. The current study examines the results of embedded teacher professional development in the form of an intensive summer reading program on student reading achievement. Students reading below the 50^th percentile at the end of seventh and ninth grades were identified. The final sample consisted of 92 …